There's Something in the Water
When Christopher Werth saw some paint chips falling off a radiator in his daughter’s New York City classroom, he picked one up and sent it to get tested. The results spurred him to launch a larger investigation into lead exposure in New York City classrooms.Just across the river in Newark, New Jersey, another city is dealing with its own lead troubles. Elevated levels of the metal have been found in the city’s drinking water.What do these two cases tell us about the legacy of lead in America? And what can be done about it?Guest: Christopher Werth, Senior Editor at WNYCSlate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Sep 201925min
Scrapping the Senate Filibuster
What would it look like if the U.S. Senate ditched its filibuster rule, allowing legislation to pass with just a simple majority? Guest: Slate staff writer Jim Newell.Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon.Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Sep 201916min
Mexico’s About-Face on Immigration
How has Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador changed his country’s approach to migrants heading north? Guest: León Krauze, Slate columnist, Trumpcast co-host, and Univision news anchor.This episode originally aired in April 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 Aug 201916min
Listening to Ilhan Omar
Back in March, Rep. Ilhan Omar spoke passionately about pro-Israel political forces that “push for allegiance to a foreign country.” She later apologized for unwittingly deploying an anti-Semitic trope. Why were Omar’s words so triggering? And is she making a fair point? Guest: Slate economics & policy writer Jordan Weissmann. This episode originally aired in March 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Aug 201918min
Cosmetic Gene Editing Gone Awry
Host Shannon Palus explores a future in which high school girls stay atop the social hierarchy by editing their genes, giving themselves purple eyes, and glittery skin. That’s what fiction author E. Lily Yu imagines 2060 is like in her short story, Zero In Babel, which was published on Slate as part of the Future Tense Fiction Series. Shannon and producer Cameron Drews read and excerpt of the story, and then Shannon speaks to Yu about her creative process. After the interview Aaron Mak joins the show for this week’s edition of “Don’t Close My Tabs.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Aug 201938min
The Recycling Crisis
Henry Grabar explains why the global market for your trash collapsed, and how American recyclers are course-correcting.Guest: Meleesa Johnson, president of the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin.This show originally aired in April 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
28 Aug 201915min
Court-Packing Is Not That Extreme
Some of your favorite presidents have tried to pack the Supreme Court. So why does it sound like such an extreme tactic? And how did some of the top Democrats running for president come to embrace it?Guest: Mark Joseph Stern, Slate’s legal correspondent. This episode originally aired in March 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
27 Aug 201918min
Reconsidering Joe Biden’s Record
Joe Biden might be the favorite to defeat President Trump, but that doesn’t mean Biden would defeat Trumpism. Guest: Jamelle Bouie, New York Times Columnist.This episode was first posted on March 12, 2019. Podcast production by Mary Wilson and Jayson De Leon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
26 Aug 201918min
